| Texas banded gecko | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Texas banded gecko, Coleonyx brevis, with egg | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Order: | Squamata |
| Family: | Eublepharidae |
| Genus: | Coleonyx |
| Species: | C. brevis |
| Binomial name | |
| Coleonyx brevis Stejneger, 1893 | |
The Texas banded gecko (Coleonyx brevis) is a species of small gecko native to the southwestern United States and northern Mexico.
Texas banded geckos are small, terrestrial lizards, rarely exceeding 4 in (10 cm) in length. They have alternating bands of yellow and brown or pink colored banding down their body, generally with black accenting on the bands, and sometimes with varying degrees of black speckling. Hatchlings and juveniles display a banded pattern; the banded pattern gets a more mottled appearance as the gecko becomes an adult.
It is found in western Texas and in southeastern New Mexico in the United States, and in Chihuahua, Coahuila, Nuevo León, and Durango in Mexico. They prefer semi-arid habitats, and are often found around rock piles or canyon crevices.
Primarily nocturnal and carnivorous, they will consume almost any kind of small arthropods. They are capable of vocalizing, and sometimes emit squeaking noises, most often when harassed or handled. Reproduction occurs in the late spring, and they lay one or two eggs, which are surprisingly large compared to the size of the gecko.
Texas banded geckos are not frequently found in captivity, but due to their small size and docile nature, they can make good captives. They do not hold any particular conservation status.
The eastern copperhead, also known as the copperhead, is a species of venomous snake, a pit viper, endemic to eastern North America; it is a member of the subfamily Crotalinae in the family Viperidae.
Coleonyx is a genus of terrestrial geckos commonly referred to as banded geckos. Species of Coleonyx are found in the southwestern United States, Mexico, and Central America. Banded Geckos enjoy dry, warm weather which is why they are typically found in the Peninsular Desert. They are relatively small lizards, measuring about 5–6 in (13–15 cm) inches in total length. They are nocturnal and are found primarily in dry, rocky habitats. Banded Geckos have preyed by snakes, their main predators being rattlesnakes and glossy snakes. Banded Geckos can decipher how they should react when they obtain a chemical cue based on their knowledge of the predator. A main resource they use to distract the predator is losing their tail or escaping quickly. Banded Geckos possess herteromorphic euchromatic sex chromosomes which play a large role in their historical contingency.
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The gray-banded kingsnake, sometimes referred to as the alterna or the Davis Mountain king snake, is a species of nonvenomous snake in the family Colubridae. The species is endemic to the southwestern United States and adjacent Mexico. Some sources list two distinct subspecies of Lampropeltis alterna, as L. a. alterna and L. a. blairi differentiated by patterning and locale, but research has shown them to be color morphs of the same species.
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Crotalus lepidus is a venomous pit viper species found in the southwestern United States and northern central Mexico. Four subspecies are currently recognized, including the nominate subspecies described here.
The reticulate banded gecko or reticulated gecko is a species of small gecko native to the United States (Texas) and Mexico (Coahuila).
The western diamondback rattlesnake or Texas diamond-back is a rattlesnake species and member of the viper family, found in the southwestern United States and Mexico. Like all other rattlesnakes and all other vipers, it is venomous. It is likely responsible for the majority of snakebite fatalities in northern Mexico and the greatest number of snakebites in the U.S. No subspecies are currently recognized.
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Crotalus oreganus, commonly known as the (northern) Pacific rattlesnake, is a venomous pit viper species found in western North America from the Baja California Peninsula to the southern interior of British Columbia.
The western banded gecko is a species of lizard in the family Eublepharidae. The species is native to the southwestern United States and adjacent northwestern Mexico. Five subspecies are recognized.
Switak's banded gecko, also commonly known as the barefoot banded gecko, the barefoot gecko, and Switak's barefoot gecko, is a species of lizard in the family Eublepharidae. The species is indigenous to the extreme southwestern United States and adjacent northwestern Mexico.
The Yucatán banded gecko is a species of geckos found in Mexico, Guatemala, and Belize.
The Central American banded gecko is a species of moderately-sized gecko in the genus Coleonyx, native to Central America and first identified by Wilhelm Peters in 1863. It is a member of the eyelid geckos.
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